Like Badly Drawn Boy, The Mountain Goats is really just the work of
one man and an ever changing line up of musicians. That man in question
is John Damielle who is currently working with bassist and multi-instrumentalist
Pete Hughes. "Tallahassee" was recorded in upstate New York at Tarbox Road
Studios and was produced by Tony Doogan who has worked with Mogwai, Belle
& Sebastian, Mojave 3 and The Delgados.

"Southwood Plantation Road" is a semi-acoustic indie type arrangement.
Damielle's vocal is kind of half spoken / half sung rather like Stephen
Malkmus. It's expressive if a little whiny at times, but typical of the
lyrical subject matter of bitterness and hopeless romanticism. "No Children"
is a song full of cynicism, pessimism and regret but with a sardonic sense
of humour with Franklin Bruno's piano playing lusciously backing.

Imagine the White Stripes at their most swamp infested hillbilly blues
finest and you'll get an idea of how fine "Sea America Flight" is. Rather
like a less extreme version of Liam Lynch's "Whatever" this rockabilly
riot of sound is irresistible with lines like "Your love is like a cyclone"
how can it possibly go wrong. "Oceanographer's Choice" could have been
written by Morrissey if he'd been born in the rural beauty of Bloomington,
Indiana. Damielle sings "Everybody's gonna need a witness" with such emotional
detachment that it detracts from it's chilling honesty and with the sort
of attention to details that Nick Cave writes about the human condition.

Personally I found "Tallahassee" utterly charming, but like a lot of
quirky artists may be a little too off the wall for some taste's. For those
who welcome originality, wit and style this will be right up your street.